Snakes instill a deep-rooted fear in many people that few other animals can match. But there’s no justification for the persecution of these animals and the acts of violence often committed when even the most harmless of them is sighted.

The Humane Society of the United States is backing a new U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rule banning the trade in large constricting snakes and opposing a lawsuit that seeks to overturn the agency’s action. In the rule, the FWS designated constricting snakes as “injurious” under the Lacey Act,...

As wildfires spread throughout southern California, The Fund for Animals Wildlife Center has prepared for an evacuation of its permanent residents and its rehabilitation patients. The Center is also ready and able to take in any local native predatory wildlife in need, such as coyotes, bobcats and...

Backyard swimming pools are synonymous with summer fun. But they can be deadly for wildlife. Pool drownings are tragic, because they are preventable. Animals—from skunks, chipmunks and mice to lizards, frogs and snakes, or ducks, fledgling birds and even pets—can find themselves in a pool with no...

Some ways to scare geese away work better than others. All work better where the landscaping makes geese wary and much better where you have also addled or used contraception so geese are not tending flightless goslings. Until their young can fly at the end of summer, these aversive conditioning...

The concept of overpopulation, or how many deer are too many for a given area, is a subjective one. While it may be true that deer densities are at historic highs, this statement by itself has little meaning. To begin with, the forests of today in no way represent historical conditions in this...

Squirrels living in attics are a concern because they may gnaw on boards and electrical wires. Usually, the most serious problems come from nesting adult females. They often build their nests near openings, such as an unscreened vent or loose or rotten trim boards. The first sign of a squirrel in...

Imagine venturing so far into nature that your only surroundings are the beauty of the landscape, the sky and the wildlife living in that unspoiled habitat. Two volunteers for the Humane Society Wildlife Land Trust, an affiliate of The HSUS, recently did just that, visiting protected land to observe...

Crows may be intelligent because, like us and other smart species, they are very social. The groups of crows in your backyard are extended families who share food and look out for each other. Some young crows help their parents care for younger siblings before breeding themselves. Crows work...

If you had driven by the idyllic-looking suburban home near Albany, New York, you would have never known that six African exotic cats had, for more than a decade, been living in the dark basement. In the wild, servals, often referred to as reed cats, typically live near water. The largely solitary...

Article

by Michael Di Paola & Ruthanne Johnson

April 20, 2016

Refine Your Search

Get News and Action Alerts

Email Address

First Name

Zip Code

Mobile Number

Thank you for signing up for text alerts!You will receive text messages with ways to help animals right from your phone.

All Animals magazine

The Humane Society of the United States is registered as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Contributions to the HSUS are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law. The HSUS's tax identification number is 53-0225390.

I deserve a better life

Right now, animals like me are suffering in puppy mills, research labs and factory farms. Join the fight to protect us.